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In which the sun shines in Yorkshire

It is, it really is! It might be almost freezing out there this morning, but the sun is shining and it’s beautiful. When we first moved to England in 2006 someone told us that when the sun shines here it’s the most beautiful place in the world. They weren’t wrong. They were so very, very right.

The Yorkshire Morning MittsPhotograph Copyright of Joe Hancock

And it’s that sun shining in Yorkshire that inspired the Yorkshire Morning Mitts, my first pattern to appear in a book! 3 Skeins or Less – Fresh Knitted Accessories is by knitwear designer, publisher, and editor Tanis Gray. The book includes patterns by Tanis, Ann Weaver, Romi Hill, and so many more popular designers in the field today. I feel absolutely ecstatic to be in their company! From shawls and socks to mittens and hats, there are a plethora of accessories to fit every requirement in Fresh Knitted Accessories, making it the perfect choice for 1, 2, or 3 skeins of yarn that you’ve been saving for a special project.

When Tanis first approached me about the opportunity to put together a design for this book, I was over the moon. But we had literally just arrived in England. We were living in temporary housing (five of us in a tiny two bedroom flat, with one bathroom), without our household goods, with no car, over the summer holidays. I had three skeins of yarn to my name and no needles. I looked at Marcus and said, “Can I make this work? I really want to do this.” He said to go for it, and I jumped right in.

I had an idea for these fingerless gloves, inspired by the autumn mornings in Yorkshire, and they practically designed themselves. The girls gave me time to work, with Marcus’ help, and I met the first deadline set by someone else since I stopped teaching in 2005. It was this massive achievement for me, a huge sense of accomplishment.

The Yorkshire Morning Mitts are knit in Rowan Pure Wool DK which was an absolute pleasure to work with. They include a decorative cable and lace panel along the front of the mitts and a stockinette palm. They’re long enough to keep your arms and your hands warm when the weather is chilly, as it so often is on a Yorkshire morning.

When the book arrived in October, I was over the moon with excitement. There are so many beautiful patterns in it. I can’t believe I have something in there, too. It’s a book I would have seen online or in the book store and wanted to own a copy of. And I do…only it’s even more exhilarating to flip through the pages because something inside this book is mine.